GF Tribune: Dearing’s late goal boosts Americans back to five point lead over Helena

HELENA – Cody Dearing scored with less than 4:00 left in regulation to boost the Great Falls Americans past the Helena Bighorns 2-1 in an NA3HL Frontier Division thriller Saturday night at the Helena Ice Arena.

Dearing scored his 21st goal of the year – a power-play goal – off assists from Jens Juliussen and Payton McSherry at the 16:33 mark of the third period to break a 1-1 tie.

Nate Simpson’s sixth goal with a tad less than seven minutesx gone in the first stanza got the scoring going for Great Falls. Assisting on Simpson’s effort were Ben Rinckney and Lindros Beard, but Ricards Groskops knotted the score for Helena at the 7:11 mark of the third.

Drew Scites got the win in goal for the Americans, saving 39 of the 40 shots on goal he faces. Alexander Rogers redirected 23 of 25 shots for the Bighorns.

The win, the Americans’ 31st of the year (31-7-0-1) and gives the team a division-leading 63 points, five more than the second-place Bighorns (28-6-2-0). The idle Bozeman Icedogs (22-11-4-0) are third with 48 points, while Gillette is fourth with 41.

The Americans don’t play again until next Saturday, Feb. 2, against the Butte Cobras at the Butte Community Ice Arena.